The formation of the English tenses in a nutshell
(1.)
Introduction
You only
need three basic forms to make all possible tenses of a verb:
1. the infinitive, e.g. to work
2. the present
participle, e.g. working
3. the past participle and the past form, e.g. worked
(2.)
The present and past participle
2.1 Present Participle
The
general rule to make a present participle is to take the infinitive + ing, e.g. work+ing = working. See the copy
about the spelling of the Present Participle for the exceptions.
2.2 Past Participle and the past form
The past
participle is the same as the past form of the verb. The general rule for regular verbs to make a past
participle or a past form is to take the infinitive
+ ed, e.g. work+ed = worked.
The past participle or the past form have to be learnt by heart for the
irregular verbs.
(3.)
General rules for the formation of the tenses
3.1 'simple'
means that you don't use a form of to have
('hulpwerkwoorden') to make the tense.
e.g.
Simple Present:
he works
Simple Past:
he worked
3.2 'progressive'
(or 'continuous') means that you always have a
form of to be and a present participle
e.g. Present
Progressive:
he is working
Past Progressive:
he was working
Present Perfect Progressive:
he has been working
Past Perfect Progressive
he had been working
3.3 'perfect'
means that you always have a form of to
have and a past participle
e.g. Present
Perfect: he has worked
Present Perfect Progressive:
he has been working
Past Perfect: he had
worked
Past Perfect Progressive:
he had been working
3.4. 'present'
means that the first verb after the subject is in the present tense
e.g.
Simple Present:
he works
Present Progressive:
he is working
e.g. Present
Perfect: he has worked
Present Perfect Progressive:
he has been working
3.5 'past'
means that the first verb after the subject is in the past tense
e.g. Simple Past:
he worked
Past Progressive:
he was working
Past Perfect: he had
worked
Past Perfect Progressive:
he had been working
(4.)
The formation of the tenses (example: to work)
4.1. Simple Present: I work / he works
-
not in the 3rd person singular: the infinitive of the verb, e.g. I work
-
IN THE 3RD PERSON SINGULAR: the infinitive of the verb +s, e.g. he/she/it/the
man works
Note
on the spelling for the third person singular of the verb:
1.
verbs ending in an s- sound like ss, sh,
ch, x, zz and verbs ending in an o
form the 3rd person singular by adding es
e.g.
she kisses, he washes, she teaches, he mixes, she buzzes, he goes
2.
verbs ending in y preceded by
a.
a consonant: y changes into ies
e.g.
try becomes he tries
b.
a vowel: just take s
e.g.
play becomes he plays
4.2 Present Progressive: he is working
a
present form of to be
and
the infinitive of the verb + ing (the present participle of the verb)
4.3 Simple Past: he worked
the
infinitive of the verb + ed for regular verbs (Irregular verbs have to be learnt
by heart)
4.4 Past Progressive: he was working
a
past form of to be
and
the infinitive of the verb + ing (the present participle of the verb)
4.5 Present Perfect: he has worked
a
present form of to have
and
the infinitive + ed (the past participle) for regular verbs (Irregular verbs
have to be learnt by heart)
4.6 Present Perfect Progressive: he has been working
a
present form of to have
and
BEEN
and
the infinitive of the verb + ing (the present participle of the verb)
4.7 Past Perfect: he had worked
a
past form of to have
and
the infinitive + ed (the past participle) for regular verbs (Irregular verbs
have to be learnt by heart)
4.8 Past Perfect Progressive: he had been working
a
past form of to have
and
BEEN
and
the infinitive of the verb + ing (present participle of the verb)